Ukraine’s specialised anti-corruption court: mission possible?

At a recent press briefing in Kiev, three anti-corruption experts discussed the current state of Ukraine&...

At a recent press briefing in Kiev, three anti-corruption experts discussed the current state of Ukraine’s constitutional anti-corruption enforcement processes, plans for an eventual improvement in compliance and proposals for a specialised anti-corruption court.

Corruption – and the associated damage it does to public sentiment – is never far from the minds of the Ukrainian public, or indeed, the country's lawyers. A recent breakfast briefing organised by Transparency International Ukraine and local civic society campaigners, Reanimation Package of Reforms (RPR), took place on 26 May at RPR’s office in Kiev to discuss constitutional amendments to the country’s judiciary and anti-corruption courts.

Sub-titled “Mission Possible”, the discussion was led by Anastasia Krasnosilska, advocacy officer at Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Action Centre, Mykhailo Zhernakov, a former judge and expert on judicial reform at RPR, and Timur Bondaryev, the managing partner of Arzinger and board member of Transparency International Ukraine.

The proposed amendments to the constitution will be considered by the parliament at a plenary session on 2 June, with the intention of paving the way for a new specialised anti-corruption court.